Eugene K. Bird (1926–2005)

2023 - ‘70’s Immersion Reading Challenge

Prisoner #7: Rudolph Hess: The Thirty Years in Jail of Hitler’s Deputy Fuhrer by Eugene K. Bird (1974) 270 pages.

If you read Spandau: The Secret Diary by Albert Speer, then you definitely will want to follow-up with this book about Rudolph Hess, Hitler’s Deputy, charged with conspiracy and crimes against peace, and who was sentenced to life in prison. He was the last of the seven Nazi war criminals who lived alone in Spandau Prison for another 10 years after the others had left. He hung himself, at age 93, on August 27, 1987. After Hess’ death, Spandau Prison was torn down and replaced with a shopping mall.

Eugene Bird, was first stationed at Spandau Prison as a Lieutenant in 1947, then again later as the Director of Spandau from 1964-1972. He wrote Hess’s story, while Hess, himself, proofed and typed it up for publication. Up until 1974, we know Hess lived a pretty easy life in prison, even better than most Germans and Russians in the outside world. Hess lived another 13 years after this book was published. So, I am now looking to see if there are any books out there that might highlight Hess’s last years in prison, and what were the circumstances that finally broke him and made him want to finally commit suicide. If you know of any, please comment below.

This book enhances on several of the prisoners mentioned in Albert Speer’s book; where Speer left off, Bird picks up adding to the prisoner’s traits and personalities. But, Bird’s account, although easy reading, is not near as personal as Speer’s.

What we have here in Bird’s book, Prisoner #7: Rudolf Hess is Hess’s diary and notes while waiting his trial in Nuremberg, along with Bird’s own conversations with Hess over the years at Spandau. Hess truly believed he was going to be released from Nuremberg to become the next Fuhrer of Germany. He literally had it all written out how he was going to rebuild Germany and what Nazi leaders were going to be reinstated to help in that rebuilding. He was going to promote help from their Allies and peace among nations. It sounded good in theory. But, he was even going allow the Jews a ‘choice’ to go into the camps for protection from the Germans. They would be protected from any acts of violence and would have all their needs met. [Hmmm!] He was going to censor radio music and programs to bring the youth back from their immoral acts. Anyway, you see where this was going. He wrote the speech out in the first person, as if he were already speaking to the people. Strange!

**********END OF REVIEW**********

Review of Hess’ personality at Spandau, according Albert Speer in his book, Spandau: The Secret Diary

I learned from Speer’s book that Hess narrowly avoided the penalty of death by lying about having amnesia, which he later admitted to Speer. (p. 20-21).

Early on, Hess was already keeping to himself and stayed in his cell creating a fantasy escapist world. (p. 59) Keep in mind, Hess had already been in prison for the previous five years: first, in a British prison, then about a year and nine months in Nuremberg. He may have developed a dual personality, with a paranoia that “they” were trying to kill him by putting some kind of poison into his food. He even gave away his sugar to Speer because he believed a drug that caused diarrhea was mixed with it. Hess’ demeanor would change. His eyes would suddenly turn wild when he thought someone was trying to poison him. (p. 60)

Hess was forever, day in and day out, loudly moaning and groaning, which annoyed the other prisoners and, especially, the watch guards, ‘faking’ stomach pains to get out of work. He even began taking small doses of detergent to bring on stomach cramps, which the guards then had to remove and keep locked up. (p. 343) In 1959, he smashed his glasses and used a piece of glass to try and commit suicide, which he did not succeed. When the guards threatened him that if he didn’t get out of bed and go for a walk, they would put him in the punishment cell. Hess would get up and walk himself into the punishment cell. (p. 124) Once, when Hess refused to get out of bed because his stomach was hurting, the guards picked up his mattress and threw him on the floor. (p. 196) Speer had sympathy for Hess and for his mental condition and was a bit protective over him, even when the other prisoners would say mean things or mock him, maybe because they were both considered as “members of the underground”…those who defied Hitler. As a side note, Speer did visit Hess' wife and son at least one time, once he was out of prison.

Hess was groomed to be a third generation businessman, but knew that wasn’t for him. And when the First World War broke out, he escaped and fought in the 1st Bavarian Regiment. In the first year of war, Hess transferred to the Air Corps where he learned to fly. He was twenty-four years old at the end of that war. He then became very interested in and began studies in geopolitics (the study of the effect of geographical position on a nation’s politics). He was angry about the widespread poverty and injustices in Germany after the first war, so was drawn toward activist movements. At age 26, in 1920, he heard his first Hitler speech and was motivated to join the Nazi Party, knowing this was a man the people would listen to, and this was a man who could bring Germany out of chaos and back to its former glory. Hess rose quickly in leadership, “dominating Party control of universities, schools and religious societies”, and was second in command to Hitler. In 1935, he attached his name to the Jewish legislation that would later play a terrible part in Hitler’s dictatorship. (p. 10) This was used against him in the Nuremberg trials.

There were specific questions asked of Rudolf Hess, over and over. The world wanted to know the ‘real’ purpose of Hess’ secret flight to England, and whether or not Hitler knew of his plan. They also wanted to know if Hess knew about Hitler’s secret plan to attack Russia once a truce was initiated between England and Germany. The Russians believe Hess flew to England to persuade neutrality with Germany just so that they could attack Russia. (p. 222)

Bird does his best to reveal the truth about Hess’ secret solo flight to England. Hess’ dream, like Hitler’s, had always been to see Germany in her former glory, or even greater, so when Hitler told Hess it was the war “delaying all his plans for building and developing Germany”, he knew he was going to fly to England, and because he also knew, by this time, Germany was losing this war. (p. 222) Germany had conquered Belgium, Holland and France, and had been, so far, successful for the first 1-1/2 years against the Russians. But, Hitler wanted to come to an understanding with England and end the war…because he also knew Germany was losing. Under Hess’ direction, other German leaders were already secretly, in communication, as early as 1940, with other world leaders behind Hitler’s back to come to a peace agreement.

So, in a way, it’s understandable how Hess, then the second highest rank behind Hitler thought he might could persuade these negotiations. He flew to England to try and bring about this truce before they were both completely destroyed, and this without the Führer’s permission. The author has included transcripts of those letters proving that, yes, Hess’ was trying to bring about an ‘understanding’ between the two countries. But, Hess does not deny, nor does he admit, that Hitler was planning a secret attack on Russia.

I would say Hess was also quite narcissistic. He ‘imagined’ the secret mission would go down like this: “ As a result of discussions with Rudolf Hess, the Government now feel that the Führer’s offers are sincerely meant. In the circumstances it would be irresponsible to continue the bloodshed without ourselves trying to reach an understanding. We therefore declare a readiness to negotiate.”

Hess left Hitler a letter stating his purpose in flying to England. He said his action was not to be viewed as a sign of weakness, that he would stress on the military invincibility of his country and point out that Germany did not HAVE to ask for peace. (p. 17) He had also left a note to his wife and hid it in his sons toys so she would find it, but not too soon. According to Bird, the Nazi propaganda were promising to have Hess shot if he ever returned to Germany.

Two things resulted from this ‘mysterious’ flight to England: 1) Hitler turned against Hess and spread that Hess was mad, and 2) the BBC broadcasted on public radio that Hess had runaway away from a defeated Hitler.

His ‘offers’ to end the war between Germany and Britain were ignored. Hess’ negotiations went awry. He demanded that England would have to change their government and refuse to negotiate with Churchill before he would talk terms. [Hess agreed this was a great mistake.] They threw Hess in prison, where he would spend the next four years until the war ended.

Here, they toyed with Hess’ brain with truth serums and memory blockers, but he toyed with the doctors as well in fakery and acting, and this fully explains Hess’ behavior while in Spandau Prison, according to Albert Speer’s, Spandau: The Secret Diaries. Hess was then taken straight to Nuremberg, arriving on 10 October 1945, to spend another 1 year and 9 months in prison, waiting to stand trial.

But, when it came time for Hess to give his dissertation at the trial, he may have already been losing it. He couldn’t pull it together and mumbled and rambled on about ‘secret forces’ and ‘evil influences’ being used to destroy him. [NOTE: This trial exposed crimes and cruelties of the Party and Hitler, but doesn’t specifically say what these were personally against Hess, himself. (p. 48-49] According to Bird, he sat down and was convicted to life in prison. On 18 July 1947, Rudolph Hess, age 53, entered his 8’ 10-1/2” long by 7’ 5” wide cell at Spandau, where he would spend the rest of his life.

It's interesting to note that the cost of maintaining Spandau Prison, built for 600, all on the shoulders of the German Federal Republic for the incarceration of one man, Rudolf Hess, was 850,000 DEM ($468,301*) a year. *NOTE: Today, in 2023, $468,301 would be equivalent to $3,686,817.

…each of the Four Powers [Russians, British, France Americans] were required to provide an officer and 37 soldiers as guards during every 3-month turn-around, a director, and a team of warders throughout the entire year. On top of that a team of 22 cooks, waitresses and cleaners had to be kept employed. (p. 152)… (lisätietoja)